xox

While reading through various posts (e.g. Is Gold worth it? the Auction thread), I started to ask myself what I would pay UA for the benefits at various levels, assuming I didn't have to fly for status as well. To make the thought experiment interesting, assume outright purchase was the only way to achieve status on UA, but assume ceteris paribus for all else. As most people here know, US Air pre-merger let you buy their top status level (Chairman Preferred) for about $3,000 if you flew at all on US Air.

I enjoy flying and I enjoy travelling, but I would fly less if I could buy status. In fact we flew more F this year partly in order to get the PQM bonus miles (the theoretical minimum is 66,667 miles for 1k status).

Silver: $0 given that I can get most of the same benefits with a credit card.

Gold: $300 - $500 ... I like the *G lounges when travelling internationally (which I do often). I like the free *G checked bag. But a Priority Pass membership + a credit card would get me most of what I want.

Platinum: $400 - $600 (not much more than Gold since Group 1 doesn't mean too much to me and the CPUs and RPUs don't mean much).

1k: $5000 - $7000. I would pay more if there weren't a comparable program at AA for example. But the GPUs save me considerably more than $7000. But if UA required me to pay $10,000 I would switch to AA and suffer the inconvenience of their route map (for me).

I'd be curious what others would pay. (I should add that I pay out of pocket for all our travel, with is part business, part leisure, but I own the company.)

dbaker

Either you only buy paid biz/first or you're missing the direct cost of most of the benefits. It would be easy for gold status to displace thousands in E+/bag fees, for example.

Tchiowa

Pretty much agree. The lower statuses you can get most of the benefits with the right CC. The GPUs in 1K can be worth every bit of that $7,000 **IF** you can be sure of getting the upgrades.

rankourabu

Silver: $200 - for free E+ and bags
Gold: $500 - for above + lounges, and the $25 award change fee
Plat: $800 - for above + 2RPUs + no award fees
1K: $2000 - because I dont use GPUs anyway, but can still "gift" them

JetAway

Since many of the "benefits" of status at any level are now available for a la carte purchase I don't think any level has much worth for purchasing outright. The GPUs have value if they can be used but that is often difficult. And miles plus co-pay can get the same results for less $$$.

StingWest

With the same background (my own small company), I would pay at least the amount you mention. Those 6 GPUs are well worth it by themselves. There's no way I would change to AA, as UA seems to be just fine for me these days (mostly TATL) and the international routes are much better.

Cargojon

I'd pay $10k to never have to connect in LHR on AA

JBord

This is pretty close to what I'd pay. Probably a little higher for 1K, as I do value the GPU's. But what I pay would have to be lower than the value I put on GPU's. So maybe up to $2500.

escapefromphl

Back in the day I would have spent a couple thousand for 1k. You would pay that much for Jeff to sell upgrades out from under you while you are still waitlisted? No thanks, you could just be a kettle and buy the upgrades for less.

recreationguru

I think there is real value to the MP program for high miles/high years flyers. I'm now between 3 and 4 MM, so I am United Club for life, 1K for life -- and so is my wife. On a recent family trip IAD/MCO, setting up the records intelligently produced 4 upgrades each way and zero bag costs for a group of 10. The bonus miles as a 1K mean at least one more free RT to treat a friend or family member each year. The ability to make fee-free changes during travels is a big saver for me.

Might not be treated as royalty, but I'd have to say that 1K status is definitely worth $5-6K to me annually in savings and valued benefits.

Baze

I guess Platinum is worth $515 to me as I just paid that for accelerator miles to get there before the end of the year. 2 round trips to SAN is all I have left to fly this year which will net me 2000 PQM's to just put me over.

xox

But I don't think that I'm being undercut on the GPUs. And I have a 100% GPU success rate since I have flexibility in scheduling. If UA is selling TODs to SIN or HKG or NRT then $7000 is way too much. (But I don't think they are.)

And I didn't really consider the E+ benefit (and I should have) since I'm almost always at least E+ (exc. sometimes on the RJs in which case for the two hour flight it doesn't matter that much to me). We never fly Y TATL or TPAC now but I imagine it would be hellish in E-.

cyclogenesis

Problem is my value curve is completely warped as I pay for very little of my travel.

E+ annual option is $500.. Club card is $395

Given that upgrades as a Gold are extraordinarily rare $900 will give you many of the service benefits, of course not the actual mileage benefits..

What is missing are things like SDC, *G , mileage bonus..

Platinum does not honestly give you much more.. A few RPUs..

1K is a different story.. ORD-MEL-ORD in C is $10K or if you keep an eye out for R space it could be 2K + GPU.. GPUs are a big deal.

Again given I am not well endowed (single income earner, new mortgage) and work pays for most travel:
Silver: $100
Gold: $400
Plat: $500
1K: $1000

Tchiowa

I rarely fly domestic so my valuation is different then others. But I was 6 for 6 on TPAC GPU upgrades this year.

I only consider value in E to business upgrades. About $2k each so $12,000 in benefits. Because I would pay for business if I didn't have a GPU.

Upgrades to first are nice, but I don't consider them as value as I wouldn't spend money to be in first.

If you were well endowed then E+ would be mandatory. Painful for you if E- and the person in front of you reclined.

escapefromphl

While you're upgrades may have cleared, or you selected flights with R space, I have no doubt that UA has sold upgrades ahead of GPU's. Maybe not TOD's but upgrades for several hundred dollars vs thousands for the buy up to full fare.